Sponges are key components and the primary filter feeders in many shallow water South Florida marine ecosystems. Since 2010, a coalition of natural resource managers and scientists have engaged in sponge restoration to mitigate a series of massive sponge die-offs in nearshore hardbottom habitats of the Florida Keys (Fig. 1). Sponge restoration aquaculture is a viable tool to accelerate the natural progression of sponge recolonization following ecological disturbances (e.g., algal blooms, hurricanes, marine heatwaves) while potentially providing other ecosystem services. Yet, key questions regarding the diversity of nearshore hardbottom sponge species and their respective functional roles for water quality and ecosystem services remain unanswered.
A project recently funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency South Florida Program will address these knowledge gaps while expanding the scope and geographic extent of sponge nurseries in the region. Goals include resolving sponge taxonomic incongruities via molecular and morphological systematics, quantifying sponge filtration and nutrient cycling rates to assess water quality benefits, and testing a novel underwater propagation method in a new pilot nursery in Biscayne Bay. The project will also engage key resource managers, researchers, and practitioners through multiple workshops. Through this multi-prong approach, the project seeks to develop guidelines for sponge restoration aquaculture. This presentation describes the new project and solicits feedback from interested parties.